“Extinction Rebellion” tries to ban an AFIS conference

« Extinction Rebellion » tries to ban a conference of thePOSTER

press releaseFrench Association for Scientific Information

February 3, 2023

Thursday, February 2, theFrench Association for Scientific Information (Poster) organized a public conference on the theme “ Glyphosate – Health, Environment, Agronomy: how to navigate? It presented a description of glyphosate, its mode of action and its uses, as well as the assessments of the health and environmental risks made by the expert agencies (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, European Food Safety Authority, European Chemicals Agency, International Agency for Research on Cancer – OMS –, etc.) and public research organizations (Inserm, Unreasonableetc.) [1].

Shortly following the start of the conference, activists claiming to be part of the movement Extinction Rebellion stood up to unfurl banners and shouted slogans. They explicitly declared that this conference should not take place and refused the proposals made to stay and present their point of view at the end of the presentation.

Faced with the general disapproval of the public present and following a calm intervention by the security service, the activists left the room. The conference resumed, but for only a few minutes, because another group took over, with the same methods, to finally leave the room in the face of the reactions of the public present.

After the introductory presentation, a debate was opened. Several people intervened, including members of the association ” Scientists in Rebellion who, having remained in the room, would later affirm their support for the attempts at interruption. Proof that a debate might be conducted in a respectful and useful way.

The defense of the environment and the consideration of climate issues require the restitution of scientific expertise to the widest possible audience. It is this scientific knowledge that makes it possible to better understand the situation with which our societies are confronted and to better assess the solutions that it is possible to provide.

Contrary to this approach of scientific information, activists prefer to silence speeches which, in their eyes, do not corroborate their ideological biases. The leaflet distributed to justify this attempt at censorship claims non-violent action and the defense of the environment. It is a sham: on the one hand, the censorship of ideas and the attempt to ban meetings are forms of intimidation and brutality and, on the other hand, the defense of the environment passes through information scientist.

L’Poster denounces the gag attempt of which it was the victim and will continue its action, faithful to the mission it has given itself: to express the state of scientific knowledge to enlighten public debate, knowing that science says what is (the facts) but does not dictate what should be (societal choices).

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[1] The entire conference has been recorded and will be made available on the channel YouTube of the’Poster in a few weeks.

(Source of the first)